Amsterdam-based travel startup Polarsteps today announced that it has broken through the 1 million user mark and raised €3 million (USD $3.5 million) in funding. The Series A round, which was led by INKEF Capital, brings Polarsteps’ total funding to date to €4.6 million (USD 5.25 million). The new funds will be mainly invested in product development and expanding the team.
Read releaseAbout the company
Polarsteps is created by a bunch of enthusiastic adventurers with a passion for travel, design and coding. The Amsterdam-based startup aims to built the place to go to for travelers that want to plan, track and remember their trips.
The first prototype of Polarsteps was invented when co-founder Niek Bokkers wrote a small app on a Transatlantic sailing trip that shared trip updates with his family via a satellite phone. His trip went viral among fellow travelers, who loved the concept of an automatic travel tracker. A next prototype for the app was tested on an epic motorcycle road trip from Amsterdam to Cape Town.
Based on those experiences, the first public beta of Polarsteps was launched in 2015. Following rapid traction amongst travellers, in the company raised multiple rounds of investment which were used to further develop Polarsteps into a cross-platform experience. Polarsteps is now available on iPhone, Android and through the website at www.polarsteps.com.
About the app
Polarsteps automatically tracks your route and places you've visited while you are travelling. Just carry your phone in your pocket or bag. Once connected to the internet, the app seamlessly transfers travel routes, key locations and photos to your personal Polarsteps page, where your route is plotted on a colorful world map that can be shared realtime with friends and family. When your trip is finished, a beautiful instant photo album can be generated with the push of a button.
Travelers can use Polarsteps on iPhone, Android and through the website at www.polarsteps.com.